Ty Law answers the call from Patriots' hall

Former cornerback Ty Law is inducted in ceremonies held outside The Hall at Patriot Place. Law is the 22nd member of the team's hall.

Glen Farley The Enterprise @GFarley_ent

FOXBORO - No. 24 in your (old) program is No. 22 in the Patriots Hall of Fame. Former cornerback Ty Law became the 22nd member of the team’s hall of fame when he was enshrined in ceremonies held on NRG Plaza outside The Hall at Patriot Place late Friday afternoon.

“How good was Ty Law? He was the best,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. “And if you don’t believe me, just ask him.”

The tale of the tape speaks of Patriot greatness as well.

Law’s Patriots resume includes 36 career interceptions over his 10 seasons (1995-2004) with the team, tying fellow corner Raymond Clayborn for the franchise record. His 15-year NFL career includes four Pro Bowl berths with the Patriots (1998, 2001, 2002, 2003), three Super Bowl championships (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) and two All-Pro selections (1998, 2003) with the team.

Law left New England to sign with the New York Jets, earned a Pro Bowl berth with that team that year and later played for Kansas City and Denver as well, but on Friday he called his time with the Patriots “the best 10 years of my playing career and my life.”

To this day, Law even holds fond memories of his return to New England after he signed with the Jets as a free agent.

“It was one of the best feelings in the world to come back and see those (No.) 24 jerseys still out there, still cheering,” said Law. “When I was sleeping with the enemy you (fans) still had that jersey on, still cheering for me, and that was one of the greatest moments that I ever had because I did not know how I was going to be received.”

The beginning, Law recalled, wasn’t the best of times, however.

Visiting New England prior to the 1995 draft, to this day Law has some not-so-fond memories of his introduction to the Patriots’ organization.

“They brought some big blue van (to pick him up at Logan Airport) with Patriots stuck on the side with scotch tape,” said Law. “I said, ‘OK. I’m going to get in.’

“But as we drove further and further from civilization in Boston we landed here on Route 1 and they put me up at the End Zone (hotel). I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, please do not draft me here. You’ll get drafted right back to Aliquippa.’”

As history shows, Law did not get his wish, the Patriots making the Michigan Wolverine from Aliquippa, Pa., their first-round pick, 23rd overall, in ’95.

In a case of history repeating itself, 19 years later No. 24 is being worn by another cornerback who hails from Aliquippa, Darrelle Revis.

Pointing that out, 2013 Patriots Hall of Fame inductee Tedy Bruschi noted “as much as I respect (Revis) and the way he’s respected throughout the league,” but cited “how much pressure he’s under here to wear that number and play cornerback because of this guy and the standard that he set.”

Kraft, who received a pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers from Law at the ceremony’s conclusion and then reenacted their post-Super Bowl XXXVI championship dance at Boston’s City Hall Plaza with him, recalled that standard.

“How good was Ty Law?” Kraft asked again. “Before Aliquippa’s own Revis Island came to Foxboro, Ty was responsible for bringing law and order to the Patriots secondary.

“For a decade he brought confidence, he brought bravado, he brought swagger. But most of all, he helped bring the New England Patriots three Super Bowl championships.”

Glen Farley may be reached at gfarley@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @GFarley_ent.